UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Chelsea Gray scored 20 points to lead the Las Vegas Aces to their first WNBA title with a 78-71 win over the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 on Sunday.
Gray went 9 of 13 from the field and was named MVP after averaging 18 points in the series. The Aces improved to 4-0 in this year’s playoffs with two days of rest.
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Riquana Williams added 17 points and Kelsey Plum 16 for the Aces. Jackie Young scored 13 and league MVP A’ja Wilson added 11 points and 14 rebounds.
As the buzzer sounded Wilson grabbed the ball and stomped the floor before being mobbed by her teammates.
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“We champs! We champs! We champs!” Wilson screamed at teammates as they pulled on their championship hats and T-shirts before the trophy ceremony.
It’s the first major pro sports title for a team from Las Vegas, and Wilson hopes this is just the beginning.
“You see it. You see it,” Wilson said in the on-court celebration. “This is what we’re building. This is what we’re doing. This is it. I’m so happy right now.”
Courtney Williams had 17 points to lead Connecticut and Alyssa Thomas had her second straight triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Jonquel Jones added 13 points and DeWanna Bonner had 12.
Las Vegas led by two at halftime and by four after three quarters.
It was a six-point lead in the fourth when Plum was called for a flagrant foul after running into Bonner while the Sun forward was attempting a 3-pointer and sending her to the floor holding her right ankle. Bonner hit all three free throws before Jones’ short jumper cut the lead to a point.
The Sun tied the score at 67 on a free throw by Williams and took a 71-70 lead on two foul shots from Brionna Jones.
But Las Vegas had the answers.
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Riquana Williams’ 3-pointer put the Aces back on top and Gray’s step-back jumper extended the lead to 75-71 with under a minute left. Wilson then stole a pass and Plum hit a short jump shot to secure the win.
Bonner opened the scoring with a leaner from the left wing. But Plum’s 3-pointer from the left baseline sparked an early 12-0 run for the Aces that shot them out to a 16-6 lead. The Aces, who gave up 34 points to the Sun in the first quarter of Game 3, led 16-12 after 10 minutes Sunday.
“We were resilient and we held each other accountable,” said Wilson, who played every minute.
